For many aspiring professional athletes, the coveted call-up to the big club is something that is dreamt about.
Noah Degenstein remembers the moment he got his call very well.
“I remember getting the call early in the morning and I had to drive all the way to Medicine Hat [for the game],” he said. “I was so excited, I wasn’t expecting it at all. It was great and it was so much fun.”
Degenstein, one of the many Airdrie hockey players who now populate the Western Hockey League (WHL), has been enjoying his first full season playing with the Moose Jaw Warriors.
The 16 year-old was selected 36th overall by the Warriors in the second round in the 2022 WHL draft and debuted with the team last season.
As a first year player, Degenstein has appeared in 19 games for the Warriors and has recorded just two assists so far this year.
“My expectations [this year] were to just do my role properly,” said Degenstein. “Don’t do too much and don’t stand out in a negative way. Just make smart, hard plays and work my best to try and improve every day.”
Degenstein said that the player he was at the beginning of the year is a little different than the player he is now and that his confidence in his game has risen.
“The first few games of the season I was a little nervous, the pace of the game is a lot different but now that I’m becoming adjusted to it I’ve gained a lot more confidence in holding the puck longer and making smarter plays,” he said.
At 6’4, Degenstein cuts a towering figure on the ice.
However, according to him, his size does not hinder his mobility, which has been a key factor in getting him to where he is today.
“I’ve always been a bigger kid and I’ve always been a fast skater [but] I’ve always been smart with the puck and I’ve been smart positionally, so I think that’s helped for sure,” he said.
Last year, as a 15 year-old on the Airdrie CFR Bisons, Degenstein recorded 8 goals and 11 assists in 36 games in U18 AAA before being called up to Moose Jaw.
In his WHL draft year, Degenstein tallied 8 goals and 22 assists in 30 games at the Edge School for the U15 Prep team–an impressive enough showing that the Warriors selected him with their selection in the second round.
“I’m playing with some top end players and our team’s doing pretty good so it’s just learning from them and developing as a young player,” said Degenstein.
Currently, the Warriors sit in third place in the WHL’s Eastern Conference, with a record of 18-14-2.
This is the first time in Degenstein’s hockey career that he’s played away from home.
For the vast majority of his time playing he’s been on a team based in or around Airdrie.
Degenstein said leaving his family and moving to Moose Jaw was difficult but it’s a change that he has gotten used to.
“Obviously I miss my family,” said Degenstein. “But [the billet family in Moose Jaw] feels like a second family, I'm actually looking forward to going back after the [Christmas] break.”
As the hockey season turns over to the second half, Degenstein said he’s looking to improve his presence in the offensive zone.
“With the confidence that we've built from the start of the season until now…especially with my linemates, we’ve been bonding a lot and I can’t wait to get back at it,” he said.
